1969

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

The Stonewall Inn, taken September 1969. The sign in the window reads: "We homosexuals plead with our people to please help maintain peaceful and quiet conduct on the streets of the Village—Mattachine".

Art and culture

Architecture

Censorship

In Denmark (see Sexual revolution in Scandinavia and Danish experiment), a new film censorship law is passed. Film censorship for adults ceases to exist with reference to the principle of freedom of expression. The National Board of Film Censorship must still approve all films publicly shown to children aged under 12 and 16.

Fiction

Music

Around 1969 Kingston-based reggae producers started to issue singles with instrumental "versions" on the flipside of vocal releases, which were actually the basic riddim tracks. To these "versions" one could add further instrumentation or deejay accompaniment. Within a year the inclusion of instrumental versions on the flipside was common practice among the majority of Jamaica's producers.

In 1969, on the basis of their tight live act, they were signed by Gene Redd's then-new De-Lite Records, and their first record, a funky instrumental called "Kool and The Gang," became a substantial hit.

Everything the peace and love vibe of the '60s wasn't the Stooges 1969 debut record was: dangerous, violent, chaotic, mean-spirited, and sex crazed. Iggy Pop's monotone birthday lament, "1969" ("War across the U.S.A. / Another year for me and you / Another year with nothing to do"), pretty much sums up the band's coldly disaffected outlook. --Percy Keegan